1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an air:fluid distribution system and, more particularly, to an air:fluid distribution system including a valve assembly that regulates or controls an amount of air and an amount of fluid that enters the valve assembly and/or exits the valve assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
Optimal mixtures are dependent on the provision of an exact amount or volume of two or more fluids (such as air and fuel, pigment and concentrates, or a liquid and powdered mass) and the mixture of the optimized quantities within a flow pattern that enables the required degree of atomization and mixedness. In existing systems, a lack of consistency exists between individual batches (such as paint, processed food, or medicinal mixtures) and within combustion processes for a number of reasons. For example, exact or optimal amounts of fluids are seldom consistently delivered by weight or by volume because of variances in air pressure, humidity and/or temperature. In addition, an incomplete or inexact atomization and mixedness may result from the failure to optimize the momentum and velocity of the air and fluid flow from the point of delivery within a forced swirling vortex. The resulting axial velocity of the air and fluid flow may also be negatively affected by adverse pressure gradients, nozzles and/or friction. In certain configurations, such as those that use fan assemblies, centrifugal rather than centripetal force directs the flow outward to points of dissolution or recirculation rather than inward toward the center. Finally, a turbulent flow rather than a laminar flow is typically used to direct the fluids.
Numerous processes are designed to function with a predetermined theoretical stochiometric amount of air and fluid. While this is especially the case in terms of combustible fluids, this stochiometric or theoretically exact air:fuel ratio is seldom if ever achieved in currently available heating units (including, but not limited to, standard and industrial furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters, dryers, torches, stoves, auxiliary heating devices and heat engines). This occurs for various reasons, including the fact that the flow of the fuel is closely controlled either manually or automatically, while the air required for the purposes of combustion is either unregulated or more loosely regulated than the fuel. In addition, if a greater amount of air is delivered by using a fan or other means, the air flow is delivered to the inlet in a centrifugal rather than a centripetal vortex. As a result, a significant reduction in economy and efficiency occurs as systems draw in ambient air at a less-than-optimal ratio and at a volume and density that is deleteriously affected by changes in temperature, pressure, humidity and altitude, as well as the amount, velocity and momentum of the flow.
In actual combustion processes, a slightly excess amount of air that is greater than the stochiometric amount is required for the more complete combustion of the air:fuel mixture. The optimal amount required for a more complete combustion is dependent on the design and intended use of the burner or unit. Although the amount of oxygen required for a more optimal combustion could be increased by compressing the charge, in the past, the costs associated with supplying compressed air have not been sufficiently low to warrant the development of such a distribution system. In addition, the focus of air:fuel induction systems has been on the required or stochiometric ratio rather than on the ratio necessary to achieve the optimal mixture.
In standard existing heat engines, the amount of oxygen delivered to individual cylinders and the associated turbulence is dependent on speed, and the greatest amount of turbulence occurs with the throttle wide open. Systems that use fans, turbochargers or superchargers to increase the flow of air directed into the intake manifold or engine cylinders create a swirling centrifugal vortex. If the centrifugal vortex extends into each cylinder, the flow is toward the outside rather than the interior of the piston where the mixture would pick up more residual gases acting as insulators. If the amount of the air charge is not regulated, excess boost pressure created by a turbocharger or supercharger must be controlled by a waste gate that is opened mechanically, a vacuum diaphragm or other means. Conventional fuel injection systems typically create a spray that is not effectively mixed with air that is injected or otherwise introduced under greater pressure than the fuel. As a result, the amount of atomization and mixedness is not enhanced to enable a more complete pyrolysis of the mixture.